Want Do You Want?

As Amelia Wright sat in her living room she told her husband that she would be completely happy if she had a bird that sang. She told him that is the one thing that she always wanted since she was a child. Her husband rolled his eyes and asked, “Are you sure?” Amelia replied, “As sure as I have been of anything.” For the next two weeks John took her to every pet shop within one hundred miles of their home, but without any luck. John was frustrated and about to give up. In fact there was only one out of the way pet shop left to explore. After an hour and a half journey they finally arrived. As soon as they opened the door they heard the most beautiful singing they had ever heard. It was so amazing that even John was impressed. Sure enough without hesitation Amelia bought the bird and they immediately left for home.

Two glorious days went by with the house ringing with the sounds of that bird singing. Then it happened; Amelia made the startling discovery that the bird only had one leg. As the day went by she forgot about the beautiful singing and began to stew about the one legged bird that she had bought. In fact, she sat near the front door wringing her hands just waiting for her husband to come home so she could tell him the horrible news. John entered the house and was “attacked” by an hysterical woman complaining about a one legged bird. She just kept saying, “We have to take it back, we have to take it back!” After three more days of constant complaining John finally had enough and loaded Amelia, and the bird in his SUV and headed, at break neck sped, to the pet shop. When they arrived Amelia complained to the owner about the bird being one legged. The owner looked at the bird then looked at her and said. “Lady, make up your mind do you want a singer or a dancer?”

This scenario is the same in many cases; Amelia got what she wanted but didn’t want what she got! People as a whole never live in the moment. They are always looking or wanting something else, something extra, therefore they miss the joy they could experience in real time. Amelia could have enjoyed the amazing singing of that one of a kind bird, instead she focused on something that mattered little. What was supposed to “make her happy” caused her distress. The outbreak of the disease of “never satisfied” has plagued mankind from the beginning of time. It all started in the Garden of Eden and the rest is history.

I had the same thing happen to me in a spiritual sense. There was a couple that I went and visited to speak to them about spiritual matters. At the end our discussion the wife took me off to the side and said, “If you can get my husband back in church it would be the greatest thing that could happen to our family. He is out in the pool halls and bars late almost every night.” So I took her at her word and after weeks of time invested they made the decision to make a difference for Christ. Everything was going well until her husband began to go with me as I would call on people in the hospital or in the many Bible studies we would have with potential converts. That is when Joe’s wife began complaining about the time he was spending doing what she called “church work”. Her complaints were continual and increasing in intensity until Joe’s attendance began to wane and he was showing a lack of interest in the spiritual things of life.

Every preacher worth his salt can see a “train wreak” before it happens; so I confronted Joe and he told me what was happening. Based on that information I went to Nancy and spoke to her about her concerns. She told me she didn’t like him spending so much time in “church work”. I asked her, “What do you want?” She didn’t answer. I reminded her of the private conversation that we had and I told her, “Nancy if you keep going you are going to push Joe back into the pool halls and bars! You weren’t happy then and you are not happy now; who really has the problem? You need to look in the mirror and decide if you want Joe in the pool halls and bars or in church!” The good news is that she chose the church and they are still serving the Lord today.

So what is the lesson to be learned? Brothers and sisters so many people are dissatisfied; they refuse to count their blessings and thank the God who has blessed them. Be satisfied with the things that God has blessed you with. Live in the moment and remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”